[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by LoisR

By now, probably most, if not all The Villages has heard of or seen the video of the man yelling “White Power” at the recent golf cart ride. As inappropriate as that statement was, I started to think about why anyone would even use it. I then thought of several conversations I have had in the recent past with Villagers when we shared original homesteads and I mentioned I was from NY. On three separate times, I was asked, “What was it like living with “them?” “Where you ever attacked by “them?” “Weren’t you afraid to live with “them” so close? On two other times I mentioned we had to go into either Leesburg or Wildwood for an errand and we were asked what type of gun do we carry? The people asking the questions stated that they never go into “those areas” without a pistol.
That got me to wonder where, or how and why does one develop thoughts and fears like this? As humans, we are not born with a genetic predisposition to be a racist, bigot, or hater. As humans, like all other animals, our intelligence (the ability to incorporate and use information) is developed from combinations of our experiences with our environment, including family, our living experiences, including schools and religious associations, and interactions with other people and processes.
So, why would a person who has never met one of “them” be so fearful that they must carry a weapon because they assume they will be in danger? Why would a person who has never met with one of “them” believe they are different than we are? What was so devoid in a person’s development and life experiences that they must yell “White Power?” The questions are easy to formulate, the answers are not. I invite your thoughts.

I agree with your wondering why people are afraid. Many of us who live here came from much the same level of safeness as here. As far as shootings and robberies and car thefts etc. This really does not relate to race, but I guess statistically it may relate to race. The words white power to me...all alone, those words are really no different than saying "Girl Scout Power" or "Bosox Power" or "New York Power" or even "women power" or Power to the People". It is because of the focus by the news media and Madison Avenue on the Black Lives Matter movement that many really ordinary people are beginning to feel guilty and wonder what did they do wrong??? I think that more than likely it may have meant just that. I am white. I haven't harmed anyone because of race. I have no issues that I know of with race, why does it seem that so many people don't like me because I am white?????? I think it may be that feeling. I don't know. In and by itself the words white power seem not wrong or bad. Many people associate the words white supremacy with the KKK and lynchings and terrible hatred and of course anything that the Aryans and the KKK do is hateful. People who are completely innocent are feeling unsettled and are wondering what is expected of them........That is what I think.